With big-name players entering the final year of their Liverpool contracts and Sadio Mane reportedly wanting to leave the club this summer to join Bayern Munich, transfer silly season was always going to hit Anfield harder than usual this close-season.
From speculation regarding who could replace the Senegalese should he depart, with a whole host of names linked, to uncertainty regarding the futures of the likes of Mohamed Salah, such a fact was always inevitable.
And on Tuesday one such rumour emerged that set tongues wagging regarding the future of Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita. Like Mane and Salah, the Guinean is out of contract in 2023 and according to French news outlet Foot Mercato, via Imedias.net , he is attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain as a result, with them claiming the Ligue 1 side would be willing to spend €50m (£42.5m) to sign the midfielder.
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Signed for £52.75m from RB Leipzig in 2018, such a reported figure understandably caught the imagination of fans, given the 27-year-old’s injury record during his time on Merseyside and his contract status.
However, a look at the credited report points the direction of the rumour back to French media and a Twitter account with a rather limited following. Already you should have your rather large pinches of salt at the ready. Having seen such rumours start to spread regardless, it's a warning when it
Unsurprisingly Liverpool sources have declared such speculation regarding Keita as ‘completely fabricated’.
While now entering the final year of his contract, the midfielder’s Anfield future is currently uncertain, Jurgen Klopp did previously hint back in March that he wanted to retain the services of the Guinea international.
"Naby’s future will be great," he said. "I know that because of the player he is. I understand these questions about contracts but the club is in talks with all the agents and all the people.
“Until then it makes no sense [to speak further]. The club is in talks with all the agents and that is how it should be."
